Failed both weekend workouts HARD. What happened?

Training
42

As a very new TR user, I’m glad I’ve stumbled over this thread. I too am having problems completing sessions with the FTP I have.

Previous to joining TR I was using Zwift on and off for 6 months earlier in the year, there I conducted several ramp tests over this period and saw increases from 187 to 255 watts but started to struggle completing their training workouts.

I thought maybe they weren’t structured enough so decided to roll the dice with TR, I had a complete week away from the bike and started SSB Mid volume 1 in November. My first ramp test result was 215, I had nothing left after the test so I concluded my last Zwift test was an outlier.

I completed the first 2 weeks of the SSB MV1 but was finding the workout reasonably easy except the over and under workouts where I could finish the workout at 100% with a RPE of 7 or 8 so decided to run another Ramp Test.

This time my FTP was 237 but looking back at it I did leave something on the table, even if it was maybe 30 seconds more before pulling the plug, within 5 minutes of finishing the warm down I started and completing Carter+1 at the new FTP.

I decided to start the SSBMV1 again but quickly started to run into difficultly with some of the sessions right off the bat, performing drills were making it near impossible to finish drills without stopping in the later intervals for 30 seconds or so to recover in order to finish the sessions at 100%.

Today I rode Reinstein and bombed, having to stop twice in interval 2 and 3 for 30 second to 2 minutes at a time to get the session done at 100%, I was within 5-8% of my MHR but it was the legs that gave out, slowly my cadence went from 95 to south of 80.

I’ve decided to keep going with the odd session in SSBMV1 over the holidays but I’m now going to drop down to SSBLV1 for 2020 using the new planning tool.

I don’t race, nor have any Grand Fondos or Sportives to train for, I am only using TR for fitness gains, but reading the replies above, I’m wondering whether I’m reasonably good at ramp tests (relatively speaking) and if so what kind of challenges are coming down the track now I’ve let the training tool map out my training plan over the next 12 months.

I’m wondering if the Ramp Test as its a test that typically (for me) runs for about 30 minutes is so short that I’m getting the correct FTP but because my muscle endurance in my legs is so low (due to playing at the training over the last 6 months or so), that I’m getting caught out having to perform threshold intervals of 12 minutes (or so) 3 times in a session, when fatigue sets in the legs just won’t power the pedals to the level required based on my FTP.

I’m testing again when I drop down to SSBLV1, it will be interesting what the figure is and whether I can get through the whole base plan using that FTP.

With the comments above in mind its certainly fuel for thought, I’d like to thank all so far in sharing some of your thoughts it’s been interesting reading. Cheers

2 Likes
43

Good post, this is the time to be thinking that in build the workouts are going to be (as Nate recently succinctly described on the podcast) “the same, but 10% harder” - if anyone’s struggling now, they’ll be really struggling in February! For instance, this comes in Sustained Power Build MV: Log In to TrainerRoad . If (e.g.) Carson is challenging, that one will be interesting!

You may be good at short power (especially having done Zwift, which rewards that in the most part) which would possibly skew a ramp test, or maybe just have been on a good day. I’d say an alternative test (especially one that doubles as a workout like 2x20) would be a good idea.

The only other thing is if you’re using Erg and are new to it, you might be spinning too slowly and getting caught by the increasing resistance as you slow - spinning faster and/or in a bigger gear might help in this case.

Good luck with the training!